"When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" is a track on the Roy Harper album HQ, a prominent example of cricket poetry. Released as a single twice, in 1975 and 1978, it is possibly Harper's best-known song. The song captures the atmosphere of a village cricket match and is an elegy to the game as played during Harper's youth. Featuring Harper's 12-string acoustic guitar backed by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, it was arranged by David Bedford. On his website, Harper talks of the track as being one of the highlights of the HQ album;